Salam Alykum...
The proofs from the Qur`an and the Sunnah require a deep understanding of the science of men and the Arabic language. Therefore, I will limit this missive to criticize the Aql proof provided in the above article. I am sure that all of us here are thinking beings. So, in his name we begin....
(4) On the other hand, the proof of the ‘aql (intellect), has two angles to it:
1. The ‘uluw is an attribute of perfection and therefore being as such necessitates that it is an affirmed attribute of Allaah because Allaah is
qualified with the attributes of perfection from every angle.
2. For the sake of argument, if we say that, “Allaah is either above the world or under it or on its right or left,†then which of these descriptions denote perfection? The answer is, “Allaah is above the world,†because if he is
“under it†then He would be less perfect than the created! And if He is in the same place as the created, then Allaah Jala wa cala would be equal to creation in perfection. Thus it is necessitated that Allaah is above everything. In addition, there is no doubt that Allaah, the Most Magnificent, the Most Mighty, is not in the “below†or amongst us, because this would necessitate that some of His creation is above Him or with him. So, if this is impossible, then by all means to Allaah belongs the perfect Transcendence above creation and the perfect Rank and complete authority.
(5) Finally, as far as the fitrah (natural inclination or disposition) is concerned, each person naturally acknowledges the fact that Allaah is above the heavens. That is why whenever a person supplicates His Rabb (Allaah) he (she) takes refuge towards the direction of the sky (i.e. upward).
The author of this article failed to rationally prove how physical ascension (‘uluw), a physical attribute, can be applied to Allah, a non-physical entity, exalted is he from everything that is physical and impure. Not only does the author attribute physical ascension to Allah, he goes further to say that it is "an attribute of perfection"!
Allow me to illustrate to you what the author is saying by using the Banana analogy:
He is stating that it is possible to attribute ignorance to a Banana! However, a rational person will object and say: How can you attribute ignorance to something devoid of all faculties that enable it to gain knowledge? A Banana by definition is something that can not gain knowledge or lose it. Therefore, saying that "a Banana is ignorant" is simply absurd and meaningless.
Likewise, physical ascension does not; in anyway, apply to a non-physical being. Left, right, above, below, big, small, fat, skinny are all temporal and relative terms that do not apply to an absolute entity, such as Allah, exalted is he from what they ascribe to him. These attributes can only apply to something which is limited by the fabric of time and space. However, Allah, by definition, is not limited by anything. Therefore, to say that he is physically above his creation is tantamount to saying that he is limited. And anything that is limited is surely not infinite, and thus, it can not be a diety.
Wa salam
Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described by speakers, whose bounties cannot be counted by calculators and whose claim (to obedience) cannot be satisfied by those who attempt to do so, whom the height of intellectual courage cannot appreciate, and the divings of understanding cannot reach; He for whose description no limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is ordained and no duration is fixed. He brought forth creation through His Omnipotence, dispersed winds through His Compassion, and made firm the shaking earth with rocks.
The foremost in religion is the acknowledgement of Him, the perfection of acknowledging Him is to testify Him, the perfection of testifying Him is to believe in His Oneness, the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him Pure, and the perfection of His purity is to deny Him attributes, because every attribute is a proof that it is different from that to which it is attributed and everything to which something is attributed is different from the attribute. Thus whoever attaches attributes to Allah recognises His like, and who recognises His like regards Him two; and who regards Him two recognises parts for Him; and who recognises parts for Him mistook Him; and who mistook Him pointed at Him; and who pointed at Him admitted limitations for Him; and who admitted limitations for Him numbered Him.
Whoever said in what is He, held that He is contained; and whoever said on what is He held He is not on something else. He is a Being but not through phenomenon of coming into being. He exists but not from non-existence. He is with everything but not in physical nearness. He is different from everything but not in physical separation. He acts but without connotation of movements and instruments. He sees even when there is none to be looked at from among His creation. He is only One, such that there is none with whom He may keep company or whom He may miss in his absence.
